Microbiological Quality of Pasta Products Sold in Canada

Four hundred and ninety-nine samples of Canadian manufactured pasta and 130 samples of imported pasta were analyzed by standard procedures for aerobic colony counts, Staphylococcus aureus , coliforms and Escherichia coli , Salmonella and yeasts and molds. The microbial quality of these products varied considerably. One imported and two domestic products were contaminated with Salmonella . Based on the analytical results, a three-class plan for microbial guidelines for pasta is proposed in which four parameters determine the acceptability of a product.